October 2012 babies - we meet them at last!

[YompingJo]

Getting thread in place in readiness!

Hey peeps just had a quick read through but glad things are looking brighter all round :)

Had to go to Gp today - pain has been creeping up again and got awful cramps today plus a gush of blood Everything seems fine (just sore :( ) GP thinks it is BFing making uterus contract which is then hurting the bit that was cut open to get bean out. Ouch.

Parents are here... all quiet so far (And mega sympathy Orange sounds like you drew a line under things rightly!) They are keeping bean overnight for us so finally tested medela pump and it's really good. Squid 3 oz was good going while feeding off other boob! :o I got 3oz off with pump then tested the special 'Calma' teat they provide (can confirm it is v good Elpis and bean took to it straight away - also Planktonette thank you for warning to assemble correctly to avoid pouring milk everywhere :o). On amounts she guzzled the 3 oz but then had a good ten min feed on boob so will prob try and express 4-5oz later on in the hope parents can give her a bottle overnight... wish us luck!

lizzie glad water bottle worked - we haven't actually needed it ourselves so far - but what was the thing about the breast pads?! :) Is this some MW voodoo for settling beans? If so do share! :o

Right sleep time here. Any other CS peeps getting cramping or pain coming back just out of interest? Night all x

Well Arthur is just put down in his bassinet for the first time so I had a chance to brush my teeth, load up on pain killers, feed the dogs and Pop on for a quick hollow.

Just wanted you all to know I have been reading and have tried to post but keep getting distracted and inevitably lose it all before getting the chance to hit send. Oh well.

Squid, big hugs! I thought I would bond rig hr away and feel a real strong love but it is taking NH time. I find the more I hold Arthur though the less I want to put him down. I thought he would be in his bassinet from day one and never even considered Co sleeping but that is just the way it is working for yum....topping. Tess all sounds normal. Owie. I had 2ND degree year. Is very sorry. Walking like a grandma. Stitches starting to dry out now despite oils etc now everytime I move it feels like being stabbed in the business with a big needle. A well what van we do..

I'm.. Does anyone know if lochia is supposed to look like grape jelly in my nickers? Thought it would be more period like.... Unknown google here I come?

Better quickly post while I cann .

PS. Holy boobies Batman! And they are leaking everywhere.

Right... auto correct madness in that post. Oh well.

Topping = yomping

Have survived first full day on my own without DH (in States all week)! Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been perfect. I've shouted at DD a couple of times, let her eat a whole cupcake and a chocolate mouse, and resorted to a long nap with them both because I was getting so cranky. I also tipped a paving stone onto my foot (don't ask). But I did a 3h stint at DD's preschool - parents have to help out every half-term - attended the bake sale afterwards, and fed everyone to their satisfaction.

DS four weeks old today! Still a champion farter, but he can fart all day if the colic stays away. Today we are going to embark on an experiment to see if he can behave himself during my fortnightly acupuncture session. I have no childcare during the day and can't afford a babysitter, but while DD's in preschool there's an opportunity to have a session, if he'll just nap for 40 minutes, and my acupuncturist has agreed to give it a try. Wish me luck.

Angelico The uterine cramps wore off quite fast for me but I know some women get them until much later. (When I had a period while bfing it would make period pain more intense). Do take painkillers! My scar feels very sensitive now. Not as sensitive as the foot the paver dropped on, but as though it needs to be looked after. Some of the nerve endings definitely haven't repaired themselves yet. MW last week said that was normal.

Any other second-timers here have tips for handling two DCs while staying calm? I find I am gentle and loving with newborn at the expense of DD. Putting on music helps to ease things at busy times, but I am just not being consistently patient enough with DD when I have to manage her 24/7. Advice v welcome...

Beeblebear Grape jelly lochia very usual!

Angelico Thanks for recommendation re Medela teat - will order it from Boots' rubbish website soonest.

beeble agree grape jelly fine - lochia does look weirdly quite different to period.
elpis I think you are superwoman! Can't believe you've managed to help out at school as well as everything else. Im not sure I have any great tips for coping well with number 1 as well, i am a grumpy cow to poor dd some of the time. Have been putting aside some "special time" for her each day where she can do whatever she likes with one of us and if I snap at her and shouldn't have saying sorry to her sndvexplaining just because tired. Seems to be sort of working.
angelico hope you're feeling better soon.

First post on here with milk monster flopped out on my shoulder

Feel like I am slowly returning to land of living after birth 6 days ago.

elpis - well done on coping with DD as well, v hard I know, think I'd combust if DP was away so well done you!

Have initially found bf really hard due to immensely sore nipples but hopefully hat is easing now that the milk has come in.

squid well done on the expressing! I can only dream of getting that far in the future!

october nipples will get better - mine cracked so badly the baby was spitting up blood but already they are settling down - I take it you have cream on them after every feed?

Elpis god it's hard keeping both children happy. Sounds like you are doing brilliantly. I am trying to do the same with DD, putting aside time to make sure I still do things with her and I try not to tell her off for things related to the baby. I am not sure I have top tips, just empathy really as I am struggling and DD is really feeling the changes in her little world. I have chatted about this with her, accept a few slip ups but closing down in really bad behaviour when I have to. DD decided to come in to our bed 2 nights running now. Exhausting. My bedroom is like a crèche! I am going to need a bigger bed. 4 is a crowd. I am getting her as involved with the baby as I can, yesterday I let her wash him with me which was stressful but made her feel more involved.

Must nap before school run (gulp)

Hi everyone, hope you don't mind if I join in. DD born 4th October after what the MWs call a 2.5 hour labour and I call a 50 hour one (waters broke on the Monday night, had to be induced but sent away from hospital twice as no bed). So long and wet wait...
Anyway similar ups and downs, really mad couple of days yesterday and day before with constant breastfeeding and no sleep. Tried everything - swaddling, breast pad in the crib (MW also suggested this to us - I think the milky/mummy smell is supposed to help), hot water bottle and white noise (have an app on my android phone called 'relax and sleep' that was free to download and helps sometimes). Anyway must have been a growth spurt as all she wanted was boob.
However last night put her in the crib at about 10 and she slept for 5 hours with no bells or whistles needed. I feel like a new woman and its so nice to know she can do it. May even manage a day without crying today which will please DH.
Everyone keeps telling me it gets easier at 6 weeks as they start smiling and you've got a cat in shells chance of a more sleep so holding onto that, half way there tomorrow!
Incidentally is anyone else having night sweats? Am waking up drenched but guessing this is hormonal and will pass?
Right going to get a shower while she's still asleep (yay)

Cat in shells? Hmmm

midgetm OMG at the state of your nipps! I am ladling on the lansinoh as we speak.

beeble lochia not what I was expecting either, particularly in the way it seems to 'gush' sometimes, or is that just me?

Welcome Wooly yes I am also a sweaty Betty. Guess its part of getting rid of the extra fluids but I feel like I am having the menopause. It's gross.

Thanks for the sympathy re Mother. We've been here before, but I give up now!

Glad to help out with BF. I have a question too. DD will not accept a bottle of expressed milk and I really need to get back to college. What do I do?!

Have you tried cup feeding wantan some babies don't mind that. It can be messy and time consuming. You can also use a syringe thing (obviously no needle...). Have you tried someone else giving it to her? I they can smell you they are less likely to take it I think.

Hi wooly, birthday buddy - welcome and congrts!! My mw was also slightly inventive with length of labour but not that bad - 50 hrs!!! I have a friend who was never officially in labour according to NICE guidelines but somehow has a baby boy And yes, I wake up regularly in a pool of my own sweat. Lovely. Think it's something to do with pg water retention or summat.

woody woodpecker has woken and his head is bouncing vigorously off my chest so bertter dash

She's just had on ounce from a bottle! Was bound to happen after I posted asking for help.

Does this mean I have no excuse not to go to my lecture tomorrow morning?

woody woodpecker has woken lmao!

wantan you are a legend if you go to a lecture but the normality of it sounds rather exotic as I lay around in yoga pants with my baps out smothered in lanolin

PMSL at image of Midget - graphic but hilarious :o

And seriously any of you with two kids are just utterly heroic. How are you doing it?!

Thanks for sympathy / info Elpis and Smiley - fellow CS survivors. Elpis won't even ask what you were doing with a paving stone, I can barely lift the baby!!! lol Hope your foot makes a swift recovery! Orange glad your bean took the bottle, can recommend those medela bottles with calma teat - designed for BFing babies. They are expensive though - one came with the pump. Haven't tried her on ordinary bottle yet.

No massacre in the Angelico household yet... in spite of mum only getting a few hours sleep... I on the other hand managed 5.5 hrs thanks to bottle. Have already expressed 4.5 oz ready for tonight... :o She is now awake and giving warning squeaks in the next room - ready for more so must dash x

Hey hey

Doing much better last couple of days. Jess has been loads more settled and barely crying. Managed to go to the sling library yesterday (EPIC effort, embarrassingly boy had to pop home to hold her while I dressed) BUT I have an absolute miracle sling that she sleeps in the second I put her in. It's a clip-y one so less hassle than the Moby wrap and (I know this isn't the point) makes me feel less frumpy too... not to mention not too hot. She settled so well in the sling I managed to take her to bed for a 2 hour nap in the afternoon, so nice. And her tetchiest time is 5-9pm and yesterday she just slept the entire time in the sling whilst I did normal things like TALK TO BOYFRIEND and COOK SOME SQUID FOR DINNER. And we ate it, in peace. And I can kiss her little head. I nearly cried it was so lovely. I might have to buy myself one of these... it is expensive mind.

Expressed another 4oz this morning so have 7oz in the fridge now waiting to give me a break or some sleep... oh the thought is so lovely. Getting on ok with the manual pump though I do seem to dribble milk everywhere (which is frustrating when it comes out drop by drop!) But I could probably manage 3oz a day.

Also went to the market this morning which made me feel normal again. Bought proper food, bantered with old men fishmongers who all want to coo over the baby. I love this sling! Carrying her in it is much easier than being heavily pregnant frankly and not much different to an extra bag of shopping.

Still feel itchy in my skin and want start exercising again... give it a week eh squid. I am doing some "pre-natal exercises", just for 15 minutes before boyfriend goes to work, it's very gentle but it just feels good to feel muscles again. We might go swimming tomorrow after boyfriend is home from work? Boyfriend says he and Jess can watch me do a few laps. Am I ok to swim yet? Wore my pre-preg jeans to the market today, they were tight but I can get them on. I am being far too impatient and everyone tells me things begin to get easier with babies around 6 weeks ... Jess is only 3.5 weeks... I am being very impatient. But anyway.

My parents and boy's mum have bought us a pricey pushchair, a small one which is very suitable for a flat, so that gives me another option for getting around. We are very spoiled here...

I will be ok, I am just not a tv/sofa person (though I totally was when I was younger, might have been better at this then, though possibly smoking lots of drugs not good for baby) ... once I can get out easily and normally I think I will be fine and me and Jess will have the maternity year of our lives.

Right , now for strawberries and coffee and catch up!!

(Sorry for my massive posts.)

Angelico so sorry you're still in pain... It may be different after the CS, I had afterpains when breastfeeding but only for a few days, they were really quite unpleasant (I kept thinking they were contractions starting again and nearly crying at the thought!!) Are you still taking painkillers? I took paracetamol and ibuprofen religiously for a week.
I know your mum is less than well behaved, but I am still very jealous of people taking your bean overnight (except for feeds.) Boyfriend does that for me till about midnight, but I have her from then... she tends to feed about every hour from 2 till 7 anyway. But I do have parents coming this weekend and have some expressed milk now so maybe they would... -dreams of it-

Beeblebear lovely to have you here! Yeah that sounds like lochia, I really hated the smell by the end of it, really different to period blood. You sound like another one with a velcro baby (love that term) then! I can recommend a sling... or possibly lots of parents...
Laughed at the autocorrections. Hasn't the typing gone downhill, all of us with a babe on the other arm...

elpis in awe of your activity... a baby, a toddler AND helping out at a school.. that is epic. Hope you get your acupuncture. I got a leg/bikini wax last weekend and it was wonderful, like being human again!
Jess has been farting constantly for the last 2 days too and me and boyfriend crack up every time. Like you say, if it's keeping the colic at bay it's very welcome...!

Woolybob welcome!Everyone keeps telling me "6 weeks" too like it's a magic number... Agree the occasional burst of 3 or 4 hours sleep is incredible...

Laughing loads at woody woodpecker and midget's baps and yoga pants. Anyone who lives on the other side of the river can give themself a right eyeful of me feeding and expressing simultaneously, sexxxxy

squid are you using an Ergo or something else? DS2 has started to go in the Moby ok but the material and faff does my nut. He's usually lying there yodelling like an angry old man while I tie myself in knots with all the fabric...have been tempted by ergo but think DH will have an aneurysm if I buy one...

It's a Beco Butterfly 2 - looks v similar to an Ergo.